Electroforesis bidimensional de las proteínas intracelulares de T. consotensis 94

J Soffern

PROJECTILE WEAPONS OF WAR 3^rd ed 1858

Republished by The Richmond Publishing Co. 1971

We now come to the manufacture of pure charcoal, which lately has been carried to a great perfection; to which cause, more than any other, the great superiority of gunpowder now manufactured over that of previous times, is mainly attributable.

Charcoal, as all are aware, is essentially "carbon"—-that chemical principle which, in a state of absolute purity, constitutes the diamond. Charcoal is formed by exposing animal or vegetable substances to elevated temperatures under circumstances which do not favour combustion ; that is to say, air being totally or partially excluded. The operation of charcoal making depends upon the fact that carbon is indestructible at any temperature, provided air be excluded. As charcoal made from vegetable substances is the kind invariably employed for the purpose of making gunpowder, we may confine our attention exclusively to that variety.

I need scarcely advert to the common plan of making charcoal;

namely, by putting billets of wood into a pit, setting fire to them, then Covering them with turf, &c., in such a manner that just air enough may be admitted to effect slow combustion. Until lately charcoal made by this process was employed by the gunpowder manufacturer. Very early in the history of gunpowder it was discovered that light woods, such as willow and alder, were greatly superior to hard woods in yielding good charcoal, but facts of a chemical nature having reference to the further im-provement of charcoal were not then known. When we consider how various are the secretions and juices of vegetables-how different in regard to their volatility and destructibility-how variable are the amounts of lime, potash, soda, and other bodies, some of which exist in most vegetables, and which, being devoid of volatility, must remain behind and contaminate the charcoal—

it is evident that no inconsiderable amount of chemical knowledge is required _in the manufacture of this substance for gunpowder.

The common plan, then, of manufacturing charcoal is found never to yield a result of the greatest possible purity: in other words, it is not possible to apply the due amount of heat, so that

all volatile substances may be driven off, without at the same time partially destroying the charcoal. The process now followed is that of distillation; the wood, cut into billets of proper length and size, being inserted into cast-iron cylinders or retorts, heated to the requisite degree. By this operation not only is the wood effectually charred, but acetic acid, called from its source

"'pyroligneous," and tar, and pyroxylic spirit, ordinarily called wood naptha, valuable results which formerly were dissipated, are now saved; moreover, charcoal thus prepared is said to be more free than any other from potash-a fact which seems attributable to the action of acetic acid in dissolving it out.

In France, since the last few years, a process of charcoal manufacture has been adopted, founded on the discovery of M.

Violette, that high pressure steam transmitted amongst and through billets of wood, actually produces a similar result to the application of fire; but much better. Engineers have long been aware of the fact, that steam jets playing against vegetable matter, after a time charred them. The process of M. Violette is a practical application of that fact.

For the best kind of sporting powder soft dry wood is that employed; willow and alder are used for Government powder ; any kind of wood is indiscriminately used for the common powder. In India the gram-bush plant (cytistts cajan), Parkinsonia, and milk-edge (euphorbia tiraculli), are found to answer well.* [* Braddock's Memoir on Gunpowder] Whatever the wood, it should be carefully decorticated; wherefore it is usually felled in May, when the sap is up. The reason of removing the bark is to prevent scintillation, which, in gunpowder, would be an exceedingly dangerous quality. All who are accustomed to charcoal fires, must have noticed how the bark of charcoal shoots into coruscations ; indeed, the experimental chemist carefully selects, for the purpose of showing the combustion of charcoal in oxygen gas, such portions of charcoal as are supplied with bark; and which, in consequence, beautifully scintillate.

Hemp Charcoal

Takeo Shimizu

Fireworks's The Art,Science and Technique 1^st ed 1981

(30) Hemp coal

A black fine Powder which has a somewhat hygroscopic feeling.

The apparent specific gravity is 0.22g/cc. The dye adsorption power is the Largest of all the kinds of plant coal. A mixture of hemp coal, sulphur and potassium nitrate burns to produce a violet flame and less fire dust than pine charcoal. It is used to obtain a large force of explosion as a component of black powder or in combination with, potassium chlorate perchlorate for the bursting charge of chrysanthemum shells.

It is more hygroscopic than the pine charcoal; this may be caused by a phosphorus compound which is found in cultivated plants in general. One analysis showed 9.15% moisture and 8.64% ash, and the carbon content may be less than 82%. Such a small carbon content is a defect of this material and the ash contains Si, Cu, K, Al and phosphorus compounds. The wash water (5 grams of hemp coal / 30cc of water) showed a pH value Of 10.5, and changes the colour of phenolphthalein to red. The purification of hemp coal by washing it with water takes much time, because the filtration is very slow due to its alkaline nature.

The particle size of commercial hemp coal is less than 20 microns, but it is better to sieve it before use to remove foreign matter.

Manufacture. The following method is typical: An oven is constructed with stones in the shape of a well. The inside diameter of the oven is determined so that the hemp caules can be easily inserted. At first some of the hemp caules are ignited and thrown into the oven, and then the remainder of the caules are heaped on the fire step by step at intervals so that the material thrown in at first does not become ash. Finally, water is poured on the hemp to extinguish the fire. The hemp coal thus produced is dried by itself from the remaining heat. Finally it is crushed to a fine powder and sieved to remove coarse grains and foreign matter.

Effect of Differing Charcoal Types Upon Handmade Lift Powder

Journal of Pyrotechnics Issue 10 Winter 1999 http://www.jpyro.com

Charles Wilson ABSTRACT

Experimental production of charcoal via the retort method is discussed Charcoals were made from various substances; of special interest were woods belonging to the Salicaceae (willow) family. Lift powders were made using these charcoals and their performance compared using a device for testing powders under conditions similar to those used for propelling fireworks aerial shells. The author found that handmade powders often outperformed commercially available powders in this application.